“How about this,” Austin said, throwing a stick into the fire. “You keep doing that thing to me until Adam shifts, then I’ll talk to him about what I want him to do—if he even stays with me. Deal?”
I let out a sigh and stroked my fuzzy chin. This was obviously so wrong, and we both knew it. However, Adam wasn’t going to be a half-turn for much longer either. I wondered if he would even be willing to do what Austin wanted, but no one really knew how anyone would end up after the change. Adam was showing a lot of aggression, and while that was irritating, it might actually work in his favor to keep the two together.
“We do it in secret without Adam knowing. I’ll give you commands, but after all this is over, no more. I don’t know the long-term effects of this.”
Austin smiled again. “I know you care about me, which is why it feels better when you do it. It’s like a fog lifts, and I can see things clearer. I think it helps.”
“I don’t know enough about any of this stuff to fully trust it. It almost sounds like addiction.”
“Maybe. Drugs aren’t all bad, you know?”
I stared at him for a moment, gauging his expression. He did seem a little less blank, but I still didn’t like any of this.
“You’re a good friend, Cody.”
“You are too, and that’s why I’m worried,” I said. “Also, don’t let what Adam said back then stop you from trying to talk to him. He’s older now, and he’s going through enough that I think he’ll listen. You should tell him everything about yourself.”
“Not yet. I wanna wait and see what happens after he shifts. If we’re still together, I’ll tell him.”
The back door opened, and Adam limped outside before catching sight of me. He turned around, about to walk back inside.
“C’mere,” Austin shouted.
Adam froze. “What?”
Austin gave me a nod, and I stood before walking back to the house.
“Let’s, uh… hang out,” he said, prompting a very confused expression from the half-turn. “If you want.”
“What’s going on?” He looked at me, but I shrugged. His little tail wagged. “What did you say to him?”
“Nothing. Must have been some really good sex,” I replied before walking through the back door.
The next day
I walked alone on the road near our neighborhood, staying clear of the town. The streets on the outskirts of Norwich were less traveled, and I ended up near the place where Roscoe taught me how to drive. The woods were on one side of the road, but there was a hilly field on the other. It was nice to have some alone time for once.
As I made my way through the tall, golden grass, I climbed to the top of the hill. I lay on my back, staring up at the cloudless blue sky. It was around sixty degrees, but the wind made it feel much colder. I closed my eyes and let the sun warm me as I relaxed. Norwich was so rural that there weren’t any other noises aside from birds. The tranquility actually made me drift off, but I jolted awake as footsteps grew near.
A dark man in a black suit looked down at me.
“What a coincidence,” Mosavi growled out, kneeling, his eyes glowing silver as he grinned, the sharper canines peeking from his lips. I tried to sit up, but he pressed his large hand into my chest, pinning me to the ground. “It is a beautiful day. We should stay here and enjoy it.”
Chapter 23
The Call of the Wild
Mosavi sat on the grass next to me, staring out into the pasture seemingly without a care about his expensive clothing. He stayed quiet for a while, his expression uncharacteristically mellow.
“Your wife said you’d leave me alone.”
“No one controls me. Not even her.” His phone buzzed, and when he pulled it out of his in his front pocket and looked at the name, his eyes shifted sideways. “One moment.” He held the phone to the side of his head and lowered his voice. “Yes,azizam?”
Though I couldn’t understand the word, I assumed it was a term of endearment from the way he said it. Willa was obviouslyon the line. I crossed my arms, giving the mayor a half-cocked smile.
“Of course,” he said softly before hanging up the phone.
“You should have ended the call with the same confidence you showed a minute ago,” I said, wondering how short a leash Willa actually had him on.
